Parasol c. 1941

Lillian Causey made this "Parasol" sometime in her lifetime with what looks like graphite and watercolor on paper. Just imagine the layering of the strokes, and all the tiny little adjustments that went into creating this image. I can almost feel Lillian building this drawing up, stroke by stroke, echoing the delicate and meticulous craft of lacemaking itself, line after line, weaving a tangible image on the page. It’s almost a dance between what it is to make a lace object and what it is to make an image of a lace object. Look at how the dark graphite marks create depth and shadow, while the light watercolor washes give it that ethereal quality. I imagine Lillian being really interested in textures, or how light and shadow play together, maybe like Odilon Redon, who was also interested in these types of effects. This is how artists enter into an ongoing conversation across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.